Use cases for 10 Gigabit Ethernet (Nbase-T Ethernet with support for 1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb, and 10Gb Ethernet (vs Gigabit)?

For those of us getting ready to order a 2018 Mac mini, what are the questions that need to be asked to decide between the Gigabit Ethernet or 10 Gigabit Ethernet option?

Or as I asked in the subject line: Use cases for 10 Gigabit Ethernet (Nbase-T Ethernet with support for 1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb, and 10Gb Ethernet (vs Gigabit)?

Bandwidth capacity is about your required workloads – how much data do you need to move, how quickly, and how frequently.

I have a Synology NAS in the cellar with a 10 Gbe NIC. Upstairs I have a TB2 to 10 Gbe adapter, going through a cheapish Netgear switch which claims 2/5/10 Gbe.

The set up, while running nowhere near 10 GBe, still is much faster for file transfer than gigabit ethernet.

With better cabling and/or switches, I think one could finally push large photograph RAW files off to a remote server but still be able to work on them; same with low-rez video.

Depending on what program you use to measure, I get speeds about 2 - 2.5x faster downloading, and up to 3x faster uploading.

That`s the reason I will go for 10Gb.

Thanks for your reply, @anon41602260. What you said helped me understand better the benefits of more bandwidth. Actually, I am not moving large files. Since I only buy a computer every 5-8 years, I was simply following a recommendation to future proof a new 2018 Mac mini buy adding that extra technology.

Now that you know more, what thoughts have you about spending the $100 upgrade for that particular upgrade in regard to future proofing?

Thanks @Timo. I own aSynology NAS - mostly housing music files - so there might be benefits for me there. I am newbie at NAS and learning more with further research and looking forward to support from MPU forums. Cheers.

“Future proofing” here is what you project your future is, not the future of technology – since most likely the technology you buy today will not be current in 8 years. So, for a relatively low percentage of the total cost of the device, if you think you will possibly want to transmit very large data loads someday, then buy it. It not, then don’t.

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Thanks again! Can you give me an idea of what large data loads could be? File type? File size?

I don’t know what data you have. Think of it this way: 10Gbps can theoretically drive a 1.25 GB file down your pipe in a second. That means it takes about a minute to transmit a feature-length 4K movie. But those are speeds at the port – in reality your network probably could not hold up to that without recabling your entire ethernet environment, changing your local routers and switches, etc. The 10 Gibabit ethernet is indented for farms of Mac minis doing video rendering or CGI, etc., not for casual home users where the machine is idle 99% of the time anyway.

I am a casual home user. And I want to access huge libraries of photos over ethernet. That’s why I will move to 10GbE. Also, backing up 4K video and huge photo sets. And BTW, editing photos…my Mac`s CPU load is very heavy over extended periods of time. Or do you really think a “home user” just has his computer for internet browsing?

No. Do you think they do?